How to use a screw pump in Dwarf Fortress

Dwarf Fortress is a game where there are many things to learn. And although the motto of the game ‘losing is fun!’, some things can be rather frustrating to figure out on your own. One such mechanic is the moving of water and the screw pump. Here is how to build the screw pump in Dwarf Fortress.

How to use the screw pump in Dwarf Fortress

The screw pump is a device that pumps water from the elevation below and flows it into the elevation it sits on. This is required for accessing water or moving it for farming or drinking or energy purposes. Its placement and activation could be disastrous for your fortress if not done correctly.

How to build a screw pump

To build a screw pump, you’ll need:

• An enormous cork screw
• A pipe section

Both can be made from wood, stone, or metal, in their respective workshops. The material does not affect the quality of the screw pump, just the aesthetic.

Order both of those parts to be constructed, then go into the building menu, then into the fluids / machines section, which is where the screw pump will be hiding. Select it, but don’t place it yet.

Related: How to get drinkable water in Dwarf Fortress

Placing the screw pump

Placing the screw pump is a delicate procedure. Firstly, you need to make sure that the section you want it placed on isn’t near anything important. As soon as it is activated, water will spew out, and it will flood the level.

For the pump to work at all, it needs to be placed directly above water. You will need to do some digging on the lower elevation to locate exactly where an aquifer is, and place the screw pump directly above it.

When placing the screw pump, an additional menu will pop up, consisting of four boxes with arrows pointing in different direction. The arrows point towards where you want the water to flow, so select the right direction. This cannot be changed.

When placed, the screw pump will need to be manually activated or have energy powering it.

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